Six R.I. State Departments Lose Electricity

Rhode Island crews were working Monday evening to restore electricity to six state departments that lost power earlier in the day because of an underground electrical fire, officials said.

The outages at the Pastore Campus affected the departments of corrections; elderly affairs; children, youth and families; human services; labor and training; and mental health, retardation and hospitals. An office of the Division of Motor Vehicles also lost power.

All of the departments remain open with the help of backup generators.

The Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, which operates the Eleanor Slater Hospital, was in the process of installing two additional generators, said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Gov. Don Carcieri.

Full power, including air conditioning, was expected to be restored once the new generators come online, Neal said.

He also said crews were working Monday to restore Internet and telephone access.

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